In the medical field, monitoring heart function impacts critical decisions that relate to patient care. One type of prior art heart monitor is the intravascular/intracardiac ultrasound transducer (such as the Accunav™ transducer). This type of transducer, however, is not well suited for transesophageal echocardiography because the transducer elements are oriented longitudinally instead of transversely, which limits the types of images that can be obtained. A second type of prior art heart monitor is the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) transducer, which is transversely oriented. However, in order to produce repeatedly usable images, the azimuthal aperture of these transducers must be quite large (e.g., 10-15 mm in diameter for adults), which requires a correspondingly large probe. Because of this large probe, conventional TEE often requires anesthesia, can significantly threaten the airway, and is not well suited for long-term monitoring of the heart.